A knifeman has been jailed after slashing a journalism student with a blade in a row about a house party.

Emma Taylor was cut with a kitchen knife by Jamie Byles, pictured, when she and other students were holding a party which disturbed his elderly aunt, a court has heard.

According to Punchline Gloucester, which covered the case, the University of Gloucestershire student was cut on the tendon on her right index finger.

The injury left her with difficulty holding a pen and she was unable to take shorthand exams as a result.

Byles, 34, was jailed for 18 months at Gloucester Crown Court after admitting possession of a knife and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Simon Dent, prosecuting, told the court friends of Emma’s were “creating a party atmosphere” by drinking and playing music at their student accommodation in Albert Street, Cheltenham, before going out on 9 December last year.

Mr Dent said elderly neighbour Mary-Ann O’Loughlin banged on the door, asking for the music to be turned down because young children were staying with her.

He told the court: “The confrontation spilled out onto the street and Ms Taylor tried to calm the situation down.

“She was punched in the face and she retaliated and Ms O’Loughlin fell to the floor.”

At this point Byles, Ms O’Loughlin’s nephew, joined the fracas.

Mr Dent added: “In swinging the knife around at the students three or four times, he slashed the hand of Ms Taylor who immediately started to bleed profusely.”

Final-year student Emma, who was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, said: “I am on edge whenever I am alone in my house. I constantly feel that something bad is going to happen.

“I get flashbacks from the incident and I am obsessed with making sure all doors are locked when I go to bed.

“I still don’t have full use of my finger and cannot hold a pen properly for shorthand where I was supposed to sit a series of written exams.

“I could not complete this as I couldn’t hold a pen for months.”

Sarah Jenkins, defending, said Byles has been woken to be told his aunt was being attacked.

She told the court: “He grabbed the knife on the way out. It was a spur of the moment decision and he didn’t give the consequences a second thought.

“There was no real premeditation about what he was doing.

“Byles is remorseful about what happened that night and the injuries he caused to Ms Taylor.”

Passing sentence, Recorder Marcus Pilgerstorfer QC told Byles the injury he caused “needs a strong deterrent.”